"Howard Waldrop - Us" - читать интересную книгу автора (Waldrop Howard)

ransom notes, his father, the most famous man in the world, and, after Babe Ruth, in
America, paid the right people and went in a coast guard plane to find his son in the
boatтАФas the kidnapperтАЩs message said, тАЬboadтАЭтАФNelly between Horseneck Beach
and Gay Head near Elizabeth Island.
Charles Jr. was sleeping like a log in a built-in bureau drawer belowdecks on
the stolen and deserted boat. The kidnappers were never found and the ransom
money, much of it in marked gold certificates, which became illegal tender a couple
of years later, never showed up.
Colonel H. N. Schwarzkopf of the New Jersey State Police had put a
twenty-four-hour guard around the Lindbergh house in Hopewell and up at the
Morrow house just after the kidnapping. His father hired his own bodyguards and
dismissed the state troopers once Charles Jr. was recovered. But they moved from
New Jersey soon anyway.
Famous father, famous mother, most famous child in America.
Of course he ended up in Hollywood.


Later in interviews, Charles Jr.тАФтАЭCall me ChuckyтАЭтАФsaid, тАЬYeah, yeah, child of the
Depression. We had to cut down to two cooks. And donтАЩt ask me how somebody
with such a publicity-shy father and mother ended up doing one, count тАШem, one
Our Gang short. I think they felt sorry for meтАФguys with big guns walking around
wherever we were; people watching me like a hawk day and night.
тАЬWarhol used to run that damn clip at the Factory all the time. There I am,
three years old, sitting in a bear-barrel airplane, replica of the Spirit, with an aviatorтАЩs
cap. There I am, me and the new kid Spanky whatever happened to him,
huh?тАФracing all these other kids down that damn long hill in L.A.; soap-box racers,
fire engines, tanks, and me and Spanky McFarland win тАШcause all the other kids have
a wooden demo-derby.
тАЬThey tell me Roach creamed his shorts; wanted to sign me, team with
Spanky; already had a name picked out, Sankandank, you know, Spank and
Sankandank, anyway, lifetime contract; Louis B. Mayer would honor it once I got
too old for the Gang stuff
тАЬYeah, I coulda had it all. Been as big as Buckwheat or Alfalfa. Coulda stayed
on, beat up on Butch and Woim.
тАЬWhat happened. Dad said no way, Jos├й.тАЭ


His father had visited Italy and Germany several times, and they had lived in England
for a while, only to find British newspapermen just like the ones in America, so they
moved back. His father was convinced that since it wasnтАЩt ready and couldnтАЩt afford
it, the U.S. should stay neutral in any coming conflict in Europe or Asia. HeтАЩd
become a major spokesman for America First.
One day at school, Chucky came out to find one of his best friends beating
the snot out of another. He pulled them apart while they were swinging in blind rage
at each other, noses bloodied, eyes shut.
тАЬGeez, guys!тАЭ he said.
One pointed to the other. тАЬHe said your father was a Jew-hater. That made me
mad. I said no, he wasnтАЩt, he was just dumb as a post. That made him mad.тАЭ
Chucky, age eleven, went home. His father was packing for a trip to Des
Moines where he was going to make a terrifically ill-timed speech about staying out